Beauty in the Midst of Unsettling Times

Quarantine can be a scary time. The slightest tickle in the throat and we're convinced we're coming down with the virus.
One way I have been coping with the quarantine is running most mornings.

Forsythia blooming with the wispy clouds over the mountains

It's a bit of a debate here with some people raging on Facebook that no one should be out.
I have a hard time justifying why I can't go for a solitary run. I usually pass one or two people on the other side of the road, but I'm not spreading the virus to them and they aren't spreading it to me.
In crowded cities, I know this is more of a problem, so I count my blessings that I live in a small town and not many people get out early in the mornings to go for walks or runs.
Apparently, President Macron has now declared that people need to stay within 1 kilometer of their homes and can only go out for an hour, but if I make a big circuit around my house, staying within a kilometer, I can still run 5 or 6 kilometers.

I rounded a corner and saw dark clouds looming and the sun shine peering beneath

Yes, the run gives off endorphins, but the beauty, the stubborn beauty of nature, reminds me that the seasons continue even in the midst of a virus, even in the midst of a quarantine.

I climbed on a rock to get this picture of the bridge into our town. You can see that there are no cars on it. 

The mountains, the clouds, the blue sky give me respite in this time of turmoil. And it reminds me to be thankful for the air in my lungs and the strength of my legs.
Stay safe and be on the lookout for the beauty around you.

Dreaming of France -- Cassis

Please join this weekly meme. Grab a copy of the photo above and link back to An Accidental Blog. Share with the rest of us your passion for France. Did you read a good book set in France? See a movie? Take a photo in France? Have an adventure? Eat a fabulous meal or even just a pastry? Or if you're in France now, go ahead and lord it over the rest of us. We can take it.

While we were in the South of France in March, we took a day trip to Cassis. It's one of those villages that you hear about where people are charmed. Surprise, we were too.
When we arrived, we learned that market day was in full swing. The streets are narrow on normal days and blocked off on market days. We parked in the municipal lot and wound our way to the center of town to the tables and tents of the market.
I stopped at an adorable toy store and bought a pop-up puppet for my friend Emily's new baby. The puppet was Puss-in-Boots. I didn't take a picture of the puppet, but I did snap a photo of this adorable ride-on toy that looks like a lady bug.

Here's a picture from the edge of the market, which was fine, because we didn't need to do any food shopping any way. You can see the lovely pale-colored buildings and the distinctive trees trimmed closely, their leave not out yet.

And just a few steps from the market was the harbor. 

After walking down to the beach, we returned to the buildings you can see behind the boats and we had a cup of coffee. 

If you look closely,  you can see me and Earl in this picture. He's reflected in my sunglasses. Also, notice the cliff behind me.

Everywhere we turned the scenery was beautiful.

Thanks for playing along with Dreaming of France. Please leave a comment and visit each other's blogs, too, so you can get your fix of France dreams.

Hope everyone is having a sun-shine filled July. I'm hooking up with Paris in July as the month sadly comes to an end.